Pupil Premium is allocated to children who are eligible for free school meals, children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months and children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces. Its purpose is to address inequality and have impact on those who need it most through supporting all aspects of school including learning emotional wellbeing and social wellbeing. Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium allocation as they see fit and are held accountable for how they have used the funds.

When making decisions about using pupil premium funding it is important to consider the context of the school and the subsequent challenges faced. Common barriers for FSM children can be less support at home, poor language and communication skills, lack of confidence, more frequent behaviour difficulties, and attendance & punctuality issues. There may also be complex family situations that prevent children from flourishing. The challenges are varied and therefore we respond to the individual needs of our children.

Our key objective in using the Pupil Premium Grant is to narrow the gap between pupil groups. As a school levels of attainment have been lower for FSM (eligible for free school meals) – this is also a national trend but through targeted interventions we are working to eliminate barriers to learning and progress. Our aim is to ensure that every child makes the progress that they are capable of.